Michelin Pro 4 Race Service Course Road Tyre Plus FREE Inner Tube

I will update these to 5 stars as I have enough miles on now to assess better. I'll give 5 stars because they really are holding up exceptionally well to the same roads that would have already ripped up the Pro3 Race. The squaring off of the rear is actually pretty minimal (but a little bit is happening). The durability is superb for the performance.

(Posted on 09/03/2012)

I've always loved the Pro3s as the nicest tire for me by ride quality and feel, except for them getting cuts and bits out of them incredibly easy! My Pro3s always got all cut up to oblivion long before they squared off or got worn out.

So...

The Pro4s with only about 600 miles or so (on the identical good quality roads which chopped up the Pro3s so quick) are in absolutely superb shape with no cuts whatsoever so far. The same roads, while nice roads, would have cut up the Pro3s already. However, the rear (not the front) Pro4 is squared off quite a bit - and certainly more than the Pro3s would be for the same miles.

They feel about the same as the Pro3s, but I honestly have not been on Pro3s for some time having switched to Krylions because of the cutting problem. The Pro4s, as expected, feel faster and cleaner than the Krylions.

Based on the lack of cuts, I recommend these over the Pro3s.

I have not tried the Enduro, which might solve the squaring off problem. Not yet a problem - I'll see how many miles I get before it is a problem. Now it is an observation...

(Posted on 07/02/2012)

Lightweight , fast , and very reasonably price. Improved cornering and wet surface grip from the Michelin Pro 3s. Trusted Michelin quality !

(Posted on 20/12/2011)

Height: 6'3
Weight: 195lb
Bikes: '88 De Rosa Professional SLX, '83 De Rosa Professional, '83 Ciocc Designer 84, '80 & '83 Grandis Special, '73 Pogliaghi Italcorse, '83 Colnago Super Saronni, '74 Raleigh Professional, 72 Raleigh Professional Track

Really looking forward to trying these beasts and this is one of the earliest sources for the new Michelin Pro 4 Service Course. While they will have multiple versions of this tire, with an even lighter 180g race version down the pike, this is probably the closest to the stock Michelin Pro 3 in weight and thus a good candidate for comparison. The new Pro 4 is billed as a big step up in durability and resistance to flats and cutting, all the while bringing less rolling resistance and better cornering grip. Seems like the veritable magic bullet and perhaps too good to be true. To be honest, I preferred the wear and durability of the Pro 2 over the Pro 3 and would seek out Pro 2 whenever I could. My other favorite clincher is the Veloflex Pave/Master 22, this with an even better ride than ANY of the Michelin Pro series with far better cornering power to boot. Rolling resistance with light tubes is comparable.

At first glance, you notice that the Pro 4 is the FIRST Michelin Pro series that is available in ALL BLACK, a big plus for many unhappy with Michelin's "Gray is the new black" aesthetic. Second, you notice the slightly different shape that is mentioned to mirror their motorcycle tires. The contact area feels slightly thicker than both the Pro 2 and Pro 3, and you see the shoulder. I wondered if the ride would suffer from the slightly thicker contact area.

I've now used several of the new Michelin Pro 4 Service Course, putting in @ 1000 miles of hard riding. I'm here to say the ride seems quite nice, easily equal or better than the Pro 2 and Pro 3. It seems to roll very nicely, also equal or perhaps slightly better than the Pro 3. My first take on the flats, rolling at good speed is it handles corners BETTER than both the 2 and 3 Pro series. There is less chatter at maximum inflation and it's smoother with a slightly more perceived grip. On the other hand, the Michelin Pro 4 still does not equal the cornering feel and power of the Veloflex Pave/Master 22, which really gives you great grip at full speed in and out of the turn. So far, no other clincher tire touches them in the corners but the Pro 4 is much closer than the previous Pro versions.

Great news to those that sometimes suffered with the Pro 3 is it appears to be at least as durable as the Pro 2 with less cuts as well. I've not flatted with this tire yet but I tend to not have many flats anyway. Still, this tire appears to resist some of the Pro 3 downfalls in this regard.

So are there any complaints? It's a nice looking tire. It's finally available in all black. It appears to out-handle the Pro 3 in corners. And it seems to better resist cuts, a liability with the Pro 3. BUT.... I have to say this tire is squaring off in the rear faster than any of the Pro series and perhaps faster than the uber light Veloflex Master 22, a claimed 180g tire. My rear started to get some squaring before it even hit 800 miles. Granted, I am not light at 195lbs and ride very hard but am smooth and don't toss my bike around like a gibbon on Ibogaine. The new Pro 4 does come to more of a point in the contact area and you WILL see this point start to round and square off faster than you might assume. So far, it's the only negative I have about this tire. Makes me wonder what the lighter version will be like.

I might weigh in later but so far, I'll give it a definite thumbs up besides the one point of premature square-off, even giving this is a high performance tire. It's my only concern given the cost of quality rubber these days. As you know, tires have definitely gone up and the days of great deals seem gone. Still, the twinpack Michelin Pro 4 Service Course is a nice deal for the money and a step up from the Pro 3.

- kh

(Posted on 15/11/2011)